Device for increasing the efficiency of mixing apparatus



Dec. 20, 1955 T. w. MARTINEK 2,727,731

DEVICE FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF MIXING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1953 FIG.

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BY THOMAS W. MART/IVEK wd st t Pae DEVICE FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF MIXING APPARATUS Thomas W. Martinck, Crystal Lake, 111., assignor to The Pure Oil Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Ohio Application December 15, 1953, Serial No. 398,310

'5 Claims. (Cl. 259-95) The present invention relates to a device for increasing the efficiency of mixing apparatus, particularly to a flow passage arrangement, to increase the flow of material being mixed from the top to bottom or bottom to top within a mixing container.

In mixing devices it is common practice to use a straightwalled container having a bottom and top which are substantially perpendicular to the walls thereof and to provide for rotating impellers and battle arrangements to increase the mixing efficiency. Such devices are generally designed for a specific purpose and are very difiicult to clean and maintain or are deficient in their ability to provide adequate top-to-bottom flow within the mixing container under conditions of changing level of the liquid or material being mixed. Where prior art mixing devices provide for recycle of the mixing material from top to bottom of the mixing container, it is the practice to utilize a separate conduit which generally necessitates the use of a circulating pump and does not utilize the form of agitation present in the container. Certain prior art apparatus use a multiple outlet or inlet recycle line which is difiicult to clean and maintain especially for the mixing of materials of the nature of greases and lubricating oils.

The present invention comprises a simple and novel arrangement of mixing container and flow passage for recycling the material being mixed wherein a common wall is provided between the mixing container and the flow passage which is sectional and is adapted to provide placement of the individual inlets or outlets at strategic points which are best suited for the particular liquid level or liquid consistency in the mixing container. Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus having a flow passage or recycle means which has easily moved inlets and outlets.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

The invention is most advantageously described in con nection with the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention with the stirrer removed.

Figure 2 is a partial horizontal sectional view along lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 along lines 3-3 of Figure l with the stirrer in place.

Figure 4 is an enlarged isometric view of one inner wall section.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of a tool to be used in removal and placement of the wall sections.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a mixing tank 1 having a bottom 2. Tank 1 is shown as an ordinary straight wall container, it being understood that if necessary suitable heating or cooling means or steam jacket (not shown) may be associated with tank 1. In Figure 1, the sectional view exposed the inner wall of a flow passage arrangement shown as a series of wall sections, 3, having aperture 4, solid or intermediate sections 5, and bottom section 6 having aperture 7. A mixing tank may be fitted with one or more of such flow passage arrangements. The individual sections 3, 5, and 6 are grooved on their vertical edges to fit within and against the Wall portion of tank 1 as shown at 12 in Figure 2. Figure 3, a partial sectional view taken through the flow passage clearly shows the apertures 4 and 7, the oflset passageway 8, and the outer wall 9 in relation to the liquid level 10 in the tank and impeller 11 or other means used to stir the contents of tank 1. One convenient meth- 0d of afiixing outer wall 9 to the wall of tank 1 is by welding. In Figure 4 is shown an enlarged section 5 to point out the groove 13, which engages the end portion of wall 1 at 12, as shown in Figure 2. Wall section 5 in Figure '4 has a depression 16, by means of which the tool 14, shown in Figure 5, and its engaging knob 15 may be used to grasp or engage the section and remove or replace same in its position. Each of the sections may have a depression 16 so that the operator may remove or replace or change the sections without the necessity of direct contact with the contents of the tank. The engagement between the grooved edges of the sections and the end portion 12 of the tank wall need not be a perfect seal and enough clearance should be allowed so that the sections are easily passed into position. The wall sections may be dropped into position by hand by merely engaging the tongue and groove and allowing the section to fall to the bottom of the container. Generally, an apertured section like 3 or 6 would be used at the bottom and another apertured section at or adjacent the top of the liquid or liquid level 10 depending upon the conditions of agitation desired. The flow through the flow passage is not restricted to the direction of flow shown by the arrows in Figure 3, and the impeller arrangement may be such that the flow is in the opposite direction, that is, from the top to the bottom, within oliset passageway 8. The bottom and top horizontal edges of the wall sections are uniform and adapted to fit one against the other to form a substantial seal therebetween.

A principal advantage of the present invention is that during any mixing operation when the liquid level of the contents of the mixing device is lowered it is a simple matter to lower the top aperture in accordance with the liquid level so that the efiicient mixing action provided by the flow passage may be used no matter how much liquid is in the tank. Another advantage of the invention is that the apparatus is easily assembled and disassembled and cleaned.

Although specific embodiments have been disclosed in describing the invention, the only limitations appear in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tubular mixing vessel having a protuberant flow passage vertically disposed along a side thereof, the interior of said flow passage and the interior of said vessel being separated by a plurality of slideably mounted independent wall sections disposed one on the other, the bottommost and topmost of said wall sections having apertures therein to provide means of communication between the interior of said vessel and said flow passage.

2. A tubular mixing vessel with a protuberant tubular flow passage along at least one side thereof, said flow passage extending from the bottom to top of said vessel and having an interior which communicates with the interior of said vessel along substantially its entire height, a series of slideably mounted wall sections disposed between the interior of said flow passage and said vessel, at least two of said wall sections having apertures therein to provide means of communication with the interior of said vessel.

3. A mixing device comprising a substantially cylindrical walled vessel with agitator means therein, said vessel having at least one protuberant flow passage vertically disposed along the wall thereof, said flow passage communicating with the interior of said vessel substantially along its entire height and being separated therefrom by a plurality of slideably mounted individual wall sections vertically disposed therebetween, the bottommost and topmost of said sections having apertures therein to provide means of communication between the interior of said vessel and said flow passage for circulation of the materials being mixed.

4. A mixingdevice comprising a tubular vessel for containing the mixtures "to be used, said vessel having a pro tuberant flow passage leading from the bottom of said vessel to the top thereof, said how passage being formed by an outer wall member and an inner wall member, said inner wall member being formed by a plurality of individual wall sections slideably mounted one upon the other, the bottommo'st and topmost of said wall sections having apertures therein to allow the passage of materials through said flow passage.

S. A mixing device in accordance with claim 4 in which said wall sections have internally grooved outer edges adapted to engage opposing tongues extending between the interior of said flow passage and the interior of said 5 vessel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TUBULAR MIXING VESSEL HAVING A PROTUBERANT FLOW PASSAGE VERTICALLY DISPOSED ALONG A SIDE THEREOF, THE INTERIOR OF SAID FLOW PASSAGE AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID VESSEL BEING SEPARATED BY A PLURALITY OF SLIDEABLY MOUNTED INDEPENDENT WALL SECTIONS DISPOSED ONE ON THE OTHER, THE BOTTOMMOST AND TOPMOST OF SAID WALL SECTIONS HAVING APERTURES THEREIN TO PROVIDE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID VESSEL AND SAID FLOW PASSAGE. 